Private firms join governments to lower emissions

More than 80 percent of local governments charged with formulating greenhouse gas reduction plans will finish by the end of this fiscal year, with many setting independent targets and trying out a variety of measures to achieve them.

In March last year, Shiga Prefecture set an ambitious target of cutting emissions by 50 percent from 1990 levels by 2030. Focusing on the manufacturing sector, which accounted for 42 percent of the prefecture’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2010, the prefectural government issued an ordinance requiring businesses above a certain size to submit action plans detailing specific programs.

If businesses think their products can reduce CO2 emissions through consumer use, the results can be included as a measure in its action plan. Nonmanufacturers can also include programs that help reduce the region’s emissions, such as bicycle rental services offered by hotels.

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This fiscal year, 271 businesses in the prefecture submitted action plans, of which about 120 noted various types of contributions they planned on making.

A laboratory of Osaka-based Kansai Thermal Insulating IndustryCo. in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, included in its action plan a research and development program on heat insulation materials for pipes. The laboratory also included countermeasures such as changing from fluorescent to light-emitting diode lighting and mounting heat insulation materials on building walls.

“We’ll be pleased if our products contribute to the prefecture’s emission reduction plan and help create good press for the firm,” said a company official.

Soka, Saitama Prefecture, compiled an action plan in March last year that called for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. The city has been promoting the use of energy-saving checklists distributed to residents and will experiment with a system to reduce electricity use during peak hours at the city’s cultural hall and other facilities.

Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, also formulated an action plan last March that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2008 levels by 2020.

Through subsidies and other means, the city aims to increase the percentage of households equipped with solar power generation devices to 15 percent from the current 2 percent. However, the city is still searching for concrete ways to promote household use of insulation.

Although the city of Kofu plans to cut emissions by 25 percent from 2008 levels by 2020, city officials are struggling to come up with measures to meet the target.

“It’s difficult to figure out how to actually carry out measures in the plan or figure out how we should work on concrete plans with business owners and residents,” an official of the city’s environmental preservation division said.